The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1887-07-01
IN THE CHINESE CAPITAL.
The Sights, Sounds and Novel Experfens
OF the Traveller In Pekin.

The sights. Sounds and Novel Experiences
of the Traveller In Pekin.
On entering Pekin our cart got on to
ye gods, what? l know not wha. we
Travelled over but how felt at the time
no words can paint
1t seems that a few hundred or a few
thousand years ago, IL matters little
which, an ambitious emperor. wishing
to antici, ate the great Appius, laid out
come paved roadways In and about the
capital with blocks of stone several
yards square. They were doubtless
useful in their day.
AS Cinnamon, however worship ira
ditiun, and love thing because IL Is
old, these roadways which have become
q loose assortment OF mutilated stone
blocks. are in their eyes holy relics Of
antiquity. What is more, the degree Of
holiness they may be presumed to possess
Is largely measured by the degree Of
badness which they unQuestionably ex-
hibit, and which is no doubt an inciden
of their antiquity.
This explains why all heretical repairs
have been forbidden on these highways.
This explains why the Chinaman who
travels these streets In his cart has TO
hold on to the sides with all his might
to keep his brains from being dashed out
on the top or sides. or his shoulder dis
located The forei sner, unless he be
missionary, takes 1t out, / fear, in swear
ing.
The ruts in these city pavements
were often q foot deep, AMI, OF course,
abrupt. Our tough little springless cart
thumped and banged about In a way that
would have shivered any Anglo-Saxon
vehicle. A blackboard ride IN the Adir-
ondack wilderness In the midst of fallen
trees. rocks and boys, is good begin
ming for one who wishes to lead his mind
up to a conception of what il means to
take drive in Pekin.
And yet / was after experience and
got It. In tie intervals between the cart
thumps, ] noticed that / was III a crowd
ed thoroughfare. made up OF screaming
Chinese Of all ages and sees. Some
were steering wheelbarrows. piled high
with vegetables. baskets and boxes.
Some wheelbarrows had donkeys pull
Ing on ahead, and man to each
side steadying the load.
Bad luck TO q man that got his little
wheel in q rut, as happened not infre-
Quently. My, what a iabbering and
gesticulating goes up then, not only from
the disabled parties, but from the doz-
ems OF others who cannot get by.
Then we passed long trains OF camels.
swinging along in their patient and pow
erful way. not noticing anybody in par
ticular, but apparently satisfied that
everything means TO get out OF their
way, as II does.
These great trains OF camels come
down from the Northern plains of Mon
golia, burdened with what that country
furnishes, fur5 and Goals principally.
They are picture que features of the
city, especially tho attendant Mongolian,
who stalks ahead in his fierce dress OF
furs, looking like some grim Norseman
entering city of effieminate southern
ers.
Donkey, and mule carts innumerahle,
struggled along In the ruts and dust,
while what chinks were left fairly
swarmed with Cinnamon on foot, carry
ing burdens on the ends of their BAN boo
poles, or skipping from stone to stone
In their inces~aut Efforts to avoid GEES
pools, that seemed part of the streets,
and camelS that knew no yielding to the
rigat OF way.
Sidewalk seemed unknown. But the
stencil that greeted me from time to
time was m u PAIN vi proof II the
same spirit that foFDuao any eIfnnge IN
the street pavement, allowed tho sani-
tary arrangements OF the city to take
care OF themselves.
Pekin has four walls, walls within
walls. And as though that was not
enough in the wall line, the districts OF
the city are walled OF at night, SO as to
guard against insurrectlon. Houses In
turn, are walled in around like a ha-
cien Oh our southwestern frontier.
When III l26O the great kGUIai-K Khap
made this his capital he kept his Tartar
city distinct from the Chinese city by q
wall. 1t - odd TO note that TIE side
OIL, tnally occupied b., the Tartars Is a
eIea-er place tnan that peopled by the
Cinnamon.
lnride OF the Tartar wall is the wall
surrounding the Imperial city. within
which princes and high dignitaries live.
In the centre of this walled encIo- ure
is another wall guarding the Sacred CITY,
beyond which no European has ever pen.
etrated since the days OF the first Jesuit
missionaries.
The popular notion Is that gold and
precious stones are at large discount
III that neighborhood. but II that is the
case, IL has not had any perceptible good
influence on Chinese currency
The stories heard to-day about this
sacred palace are of kind with those
that Marco Polo told in the thirteenth
century, when he infiamed Venice with
the marveIs he pretended to have seen
al the hhan's place.
Here Is supposed to be the Dr. con' g
throne. the seat OF the emperor, what
ever that may be- Two square miles OF
pleasure grounds are here in the heart
OF populous city, obstructing passage
from one side to the other.-IOutiDg.